The present invention relates to a side airbag apparatus. More particularly, the present invention to a side airbag apparatus that, when a vehicle receives an impact due to a side collision, prevents an occupant seated on the far side of the impact from being moved toward the inside of the vehicle by the reaction of the impact, and to a method for folding an airbag.
Side airbag apparatuses for protecting an occupant in a side collision of vehicles are widely known. Side airbags include airbags for near side occupants that is inflated and deployed between an occupant and a vehicle structural member such as a door, and airbags for far side occupants. An airbag for near side occupants protects an occupant from a vehicle structural member that protrudes toward the vehicle inside due to the impact of a side collision. An airbag for far side occupants restricts the movement of an occupant toward the vehicle inside caused by the reaction of a side collision.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-195355 discloses a method for folding an airbag, a method for storing an airbag, and an airbag apparatus. In the apparatus of the publication, two front seats spaced from each other in the lateral direction of the vehicle each have a vehicle body side airbag apparatus located on the near side of the seat back (the position closer to a side of the vehicle) and a seat side airbag apparatus on the far side of the seat back (the position further from the side of the vehicle). A part of the vehicle body side airbag is roll folded, and the remainder is folded toward the inflator by the accordion folding, the inward folding, or the combination of the two. The seat side airbag is folded toward the inflator by the accordion folding, the inward folding, or the combination of the two. When being inflated and deployed, the seat side airbag occupies the space between the seat backs. This prevents occupants or articles on the rear seats from moving forward and reduces the lateral movement of the occupants seated on the rear seats.
According to the airbags disclosed in the above publication, the seat side airbag apparatuses provided on the inner sides of the left and right seat backs prevent occupants on the rear seats from moving forward and reduces the inward movement of the occupants seated on the left and right front seats.
However, to protect occupants, the two seat side airbag apparatuses need to be simultaneously activated in a reliable manner. Such simultaneous activation is difficult. Further, since the airbag of each seat side airbag apparatus needs to be folded according to a prescribed folding pattern, the number of assembling processes is increased. This in turn increases the manufacturing costs.
The prescribed folding pattern of the airbags of the seat side airbag apparatuses is employed for allowing the airbags to be quickly deployed forward. However, the folding pattern prioritizes, for example, the protection of heads and therefore does not accelerate the upward deployment.